The Namibian High Commissioner to Botswana, Mr Mbapeua Muvangua says the government of Botswana’s Adopt-a-School initiative is worth commending and emulating.

Officiating at a Traditional Hut and Award ceremony at Matlapana Primary School in Maun recently, Mr Muvangua said the initiative reduced pressure on government’ limited resources.

The initiative, he said, cultivated a sense of community involvement in the education of their children, adding that primary school level was crucial for the success of pupils therefore it was vital to provide quality education at that stage.

“This level in the education of the children is the most important in their future lives as it determines how far they will go,” he said.

The significance of education, he said was more relevant today in a global village to open chances of employment in other countries when one cannot get a job in their country of origin.

Mr Muvangua therefore appealed to the learners to take their education seriously as well as community leaders to rally behind the learners to achieve a better future.

He commended Matlapana for a sterling performance in the recent Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results by attaining an 80.3 percent ABC pass last year and encouraged them to continue with the good performance.

However, he said a study that was carried out at Tsodilo Junior Secondary School (JSS) in Maun, which pointed to lack of parental involvement as one of reasons for decline in the school performance, was a concern because it mirrored a problem across the country.

The High Commissioner however said Matlapana results showed the parents did a good job in partnership with the school.

Furthermore, he said the cultural village designed in the school was a milestone in an endeavor to maintain culture.

He noted that the celebration of various cultures was a great way to helping children to deal with differences and appreciating other cultures.

Mr Muvangua said schools ought to address cultural diversity in classrooms for pupils to appreciate each other’s’ cultural backgrounds.

The High Commissioner officially opened a cultural village at the primary school, which was made possible by the help of the community and Feline Fields Trust, which has adopted the school.